Author

Date of Graduation

Document Type

Degree Name

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Department/Program

Nursing

Program

Family Nurse Practitioner

First Advisor

Dr. Jo Loomis

Second Advisor

Dr. Brian Budds

Third Advisor

Dr. Wanda Borges

Abstract

The dynamics of health care delivery and the role of health care providers is a changing canvas in the United States. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sets a goal to increase access to health care. The systems that support the ACA are constantly under scrutiny as failing to provide key answers to provider shortage and health care access issues. Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who are recognized by the ACA as a comprehensive part of this revolution are in a unique place to find opportunities to promote increased access to health and primary care services. While NPs in California are not recognized as independent providers and must work in collaboration with physicians, the opportunity still exists to expand access. Academic institutions generally utilize licensed and credentialed NP faculty to provide clinical education to NP students and have an unrivalled opportunity to provide community healthcare through education. To maintain licensure/certification, NPs must continue to provide evidence of clinical practice hours alongside teaching. While this dilemma is probably not unique to NP schools and perhaps adds to the shortage of fully practicing clinical professionals; the focus of this DNP project is to introduce an academic based, nurse managed model of care delivery which will display an integration of these three components: increasing access to care by using academic institutions, the dual role of the academic NP, and the opportunity for increased collaboration between physicians and NPs in California.